A KEIGHLEY woman who used her baking skills to enter five local produce shows this summer donated all her winnings to the National Osteoporosis Society. (NOS)

Christine Sharp, of Riddlesden, won an impressive 39 first, second and third prizes for the cakes, Parkin, biscuits and pasties she made for shows in Keighley, Bingley, Ilkley, Haworth and Harden.

Mrs Sharp is an ambassador for the NOS and campaigns to raise awareness of the threat posed by osteoporosis and the steps people can take to avoid contracting the brittle bone condition.

Her prize-winning entries in the produce shows were in aid of the NOS Baking For Bones initiative, designed to drum up cash for the charity and inform more people of this illness.

Mrs Sharp won £100 worth of prize money and also received donations from people who took home her baked goods following the judging. So far she has raised £135 for NOS.

“Using five dozen eggs, a ton of flour and a pavement slab’s worth of butter I won 39 prizes in total, which was a nice surprise,” she added.

“It’s been a real marathon and I was baking from morning till night on the days before the shows, because everything I entered was made fresh.

“It was hard work but I’m pleased with how I’ve done. Until the last show, which was Harden, I’d won 26 prizes, and then at Harden I got a further 13.

“You get a small amount of money for each prize, but this was only partly about the money.

“NOS is only a small charity and for some reason osteoporosis doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Half the population over 50 are going to break a bone due to this illness. It really is a major issue.”

Mrs Sharp herself has osteoporosis and was first diagnosed more than 20 years ago. She has had multiple fractures and the illness forced her to give up her job in 2009. She used to run a salon in Haworth Road, Bradford.